In Times Such As These
by pokeitlikejello
Summary: A House and Cuddy one shot fic. Taking place in the past, Cuddy offers House the job at the PPTH.


**A one shot fic, as a request. I don't own the characters, I just play with them.  
**

* * *

Lisa Cuddy approached him professionally. She had been advised not to set up a meeting with the infamous Gregory House because he was known to cancel time and time again due to the fact that he never really wanted to meet anyone. Lisa decided that if she wanted to talk to him, the only way was to get on his level and corner him.

That is what brought her to an insanely dusky bar at one in the morning. The looks she received from the overdressed lonely businessmen and the underdressed drunkards was enough to make her forget she even wanted to hire Greg House. But, and she knew this was a big but, he _was_ Greg House and his fame alone would be a major asset to the hospital.

She scanned the bar again, squinting through cigarette smoke. She hadn't had anything alcoholic to drink, only diet cokes, and as the hours passed, she found herself needing to pee, but not bad enough to use the bathroom in the bar. However, at this moment in time, her bladder was beginning to send her painful warning signals and she wondered where Greg House was.

Finishing off her diet coke and deciding she might as well use the bathroom because it was now or never, she slid off her bar stool and headed for the bathrooms in the back. She ignored the men staring and suddenly wished she had worn a less revealing shirt. Not to say that she thought herself a slut, but she had chosen the given attire for a reason.

He was a legend at the University of Michigan (Go Wolverines), and she had, though she never admitted it, a crush on the legend of Greg House. It seemed unlikely for her to fall for someone like him. She was smart, completely devoted to her work, while Greg House messed around, making sure to annoy anyone and everyone in his antics to "do his own thing." And she would _never_ tell of the night they slept together, though it often crossed her mind as "what could have been" if only she hadn't run as far away from it as possible after it had happened.

They had been drinking and talking, the in depth, personal kind of talking that you don't normally share with someone _ever_, and they had sex. It blew her mind. _He_ blew her mind, leading to the chain reaction of her running from him while she grew a stronger backbone, never to contact him again, figuring he would forget about her even though _she_ made sure to check on his whereabouts every few years. Which, inevitably brought her to today, the moment of truth. She hadn't seen him in so long.

She was almost to the bathroom when he stepped in front of her. She didn't look at him, but merely tried to pass him, but he blocked her. She was forced to look up and her eyes met his insanely penetrating blues. She froze, her heart stopping for only a moment, and she was over herself, a coaxing smile on her face.

"Gregory House." she was pushing the past from her mind. He had forgotten her. She was going to be professional now.

"You were sitting alone, waiting for someone." Greg leaned against the wall, completely full of himself, "Dressed, as you are, a doctor no doubt. You can tell by the shoes. And as I suspected, you are looking for me."

"Yes." she agreed and extended a hand, "I'm Dr. Lisa Cuddy. I'm the dean of medicine and hospital administrator at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. I came to offer you a job."

Greg paused for only a moment, "Not interested."

He moved past Lisa, freeing up the hallway to the bathrooms. Lisa wasn't going to let herself be defeated. After all, she didn't come all this way to receive a "no" answer. Lisa stepped around Greg, cutting him off.

"You would be head of the department of diagnostic medicine." Lisa tried to sound persuasive, but was unable to be sure if it came off that way, "You'll have your own office, have a team working with you, excellent pay."

"Not interested, _thank you_." Greg placed his hands on Lisa's arms and moved her aside. He turned slightly as he walked away, "Weren't you going to pee?"

"They're going to fire you." Lisa hoped that if Greg knew his current job was in danger, which it was, he would be more likely to accept her offer now before he reached unemployment and had to find a job on his own.

Greg turned, "Now. Why would they wanna do that?"

"You already know?" Lisa was certain that his sarcasm gave her the answer to the question she just asked.

Greg moved closer to Lisa, "I work in diagnostic medicine, I'm not oblivious."

"Well, I'm offering you a job." Lisa's tone was firmer, "An excellent job that I would think a man in your current position would take. Once you get fired, it's not going to be easy for you to find a new hospital to work at. Do you know how much you cost your hospital annually?"

Greg shook his head, "No, but I'm sure you do."

Lisa narrowed her eyes, "The lawsuits alone cost-"

"So, you want to hire me because you want a reason to blow a lot of money?" Greg leaned in close to Lisa.

"I want to hire you because you're a great doctor." Lisa kept her eyes locked with Greg's.

Greg pulled back, "Quid pro quo."

"What?" It was Lisa's turn to pull back, confused.

"Something for something." Greg rolled his eyes as if it was obvious, "Really, Dr. _Cuddy_, is it?"

"I know what it means." Lisa shot back, "I just wasn't sure if I heard you correctly. I'm offering you a job so you can take it before you get sacked. In clear definition of the meaning, I should be asking _you_ for something."

"Except for the small detail that you're the one who wants _me_." Greg replied, knowing he was right and she knew it.

Cuddy eyed him up suspiciously, "What do you want?"

"I pick the team I work with, since this _is_ a teaching hospital and since I will be doing the teaching, it seems only fair." Greg watched Lisa's reaction.

Lisa nodded, "Well, of course you'd have a hand in choosing which doctors-"

"No." Greg cut her off, "I want complete control over the process."

Lisa raised her eyebrows, "Pretty demanding and you haven't even started."

"Demanding and I haven't even accepted." Greg replied, wittily. There was a long pause, "There's one more thing."

Lisa was afraid and swallowed hard, "Yes?"

"Sex." Greg gave a nod, "With you."

"What?!" Lisa was quite taken a back, unsure if he was serious.

"So that's a no, then." Greg cocked his head to the side, "Oh, wait. Scratch that, I forgot. We did that already."

Greg leaned in close to Lisa, his lips next to her ear. Through the cigarette smoke, he was still able to smell the vanilla almond conditioner in her hair.

"Do you still operate on kewpie dolls, Dr. Cuddy?" he whispered to her, then pulled away in a flash, the moment gone, his voice at normal tones, "I accept your offer. I'll be there Monday."

Greg turned from her and walked away. Lisa, completely forgetting that she had to use the bathroom, watched Greg walk away, unsure if she was more shocked at the fact that he just accepted her job offer or at that fact that he remembered her words from that one night so long ago.


End file.
